Burdened by Abundance

In this Thanksgiving season, I have been thinking much about one word which really resonates with me: bountifully.  I appreciate how a psalmist expresses gratitude: ...for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you (Psalm 116:7b).  Yes, the Lord truly has dealt bountifully showering blessings upon me in so many arenas of life.  I've been reminded recently that no matter how mediocre or even difficult we may consider a temporary circumstance, most American citizens are simply rolling in the dough and living the good life in comparison to the majority of individuals around the globe.  We certainly have much for which we should offer thanks.  Yet I believe that in such bounty, we must be cautious to guard our hearts and minds, for our accumulations can easily transform into burdens of abundance.

Things are just things, temporary and fleeting objects which we accumulate to fulfill our needs, our desires, our entertainment, our desired status positions, and a myriad of other purposes.  Much of the time, this is quite fine until our sinful hearts get involved.  To quote Mark Driscoll, "Idolatry is taking a good thing, making it a god thing and that's a bad thing."  When a desire for more and more earthly things consume our hearts, our abundance truly does become burdensome.  One can wear himself out in constant comparison with others or endless striving for more, more, more.  But to what end?  Our greed is a bottomless pit that will never be satisfied.  During Jesus's earthly ministry, he preached to the people a message knowing that we could easily fall into the struggle and burden of abundance.  Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).  I love this passage because it's clear that Jesus was not asking people to give it all up and be miserable, moping human beings.  However, He was clearly more concerned about their heart condition and helped clarify the understanding that true blessing and wealth lies not in our earthly possessions but in a heavenly inheritance for those who trust in Him as their Savior.  Truly, it's only when we loosen our grip on things of this earth and turn our eyes toward Him that we can even enjoy our current temporal blessings with the right attitude and view.  For all we have is from God, and just as it has been given so can it be taken away.  My heart cry becomes, "Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways" (Psalm 119:37).

I think also of a familiar teaching of Jesus, the parable of the pearl of great price.  The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.  Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field (Matthew 13:45-46).  A man or woman living under the burden of abundance may discover the pearl of great price and be overjoyed to hear the beautiful truth that Jesus is the answer to our sinfulness and brokenness who has paid the price for sin and offers us eternal life in Him. And yet the ultimate treasure that He is, the pearl of greatest price, is too costly for him or her.  How could one consider laying down all else in exchange for the Treasure of Christ?  And yet look to the man in the parable; in his joy he took his abudance, his temporary fleeting abundance, and sold the bounty in exchange for not something but someOne far greater and more glorious.

On this Thanksgiving Day as we move into the Christmas season, may we have hearts full of gratitude for the way which we have bountifully been dealt with.  Yet would you, with me, consider where your heart lies in regards to your earthly treasures?  Do you live under a burden of abundance where you have allowed things to creep into a place of far too much importance?  Have you let good things become god things that you worship instead of using them to point you back with a heart of joy to the Giver?  When we look clear enough and hard enough if we're brave enough, it's sure to be an uncomfortable sight.  Then throw off the burden and rest blessed in the right bounty, the abundant love and grace we receive through Christ Jesus our Lord!